Second Reclamation Ride near Nelson

Kootenay motorcycle riders came together this Sunday for the second Reclamation Ride to Taghum where the Kootenay Roadrunners planted trees and shrubs.

Once again, Thor Smestad organized the ride and planting as a way for the group to offset some of their carbon footprint.

The group planted 50 dogwood and cottonwood stakes on rocky slopes of the old bridge approach which surrounds a small pond that is home to several birds and turtles. While Smedstad supplied most of the plants, Ian McLeod (Roadrunners chairman) grew some in a nursery bed they set up in his backyard. The group also added cardboard and wood chips to the base of the trees planted last year to help insulate their new roots for the winter.

A year after the first planting, it’s apparent their hard work has taken root. The willows and dogwood are still standing tall on the roadside and now cover a once bare steep slope to a pond that is inhabited by amphibians, turtles and migratory birds.